Next time you are in a big crowd of people, take a look around at the sea of faces and think about the statistics relating to mental ill health in Australia.
It's estimated that 1 in 5 (20 percent) of Australians aged 16 to 85 have experienced a common mental disorder in the last 12 months. To say the least, this is a lot of people; it’s just shy of four million Australians based on 2017 population estimates.
It could be argued that most of us are touched by mental ill health at some point in our lives, whether it be our own personal experience or the experience of somebody close to us; a friend, a relative, a colleague. Read about new mental health research from the University of Sydney.
Without mental health there can be no true physical health.
There have been many incremental shifts in the public’s mental health awareness since 1954, when the World Health Organization (WHO) championed the idea that "without mental health there can be no true physical health". However, the term “mental health” still often brings to mind conditions such as anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.
And you can see why, when anxiety disorders are estimated to impact 14.4 precent of Australians, followed by affective disorders such as depression which impact 6.2 percent of Aussies in a year.
However, WHO stresses that mental health is not simply an absence of a mental ill health but is "... a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community."
To be able to do this, self-management is an important process.
The idea of coping with stressors and feeling socially connected, highlighted by WHO, are important elements of managing mental health.
Some of my research at the Brain and Mind Centre looks at how self-management interventions can support people to manage their mental health, which can focus on physical, social and emotional parts of keeping well.
Self-management commonly includes:
Dr Alyssa Milton is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow from the Brain and Mind Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health
In order to continue research activity with the disruption of COVID-19, the Brain and Mind Centre’s Youth Mental Health and Technology Team have put together an online research hub for young people to continue to have their voice in the development of innovative health information technologies to promote mental health and wellbeing. From quick polls, surveys, idea walls and interactive maps, you can contribute as much or as little as you like.
New technology can support the coordination of highly-personalised mental health care across primary, secondary, and hospital-level clinics.
Listen to the Brain and Mind Centre webinar hosted by and featuring a panel of young people with lived experience, discussing suicide prevention and mental health advocacy of people who have been through the system.
Even everyday tasks can be overwhelming when you're not mentally healthy. We've suggested a few ways you can check in with yourself and improve mental health.
Our researchers are developing an online tool to help tackle the connection between alcohol use and anxiety in young people.
Our research focuses on listening first and foremost in order to develop high-quality evidence which accurately reflects real-life experiences.
Maintaining a routine was a huge step for Jess, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety. After being treated at the Brain and Mind Centre, Jess is gaining more independence in her life.
COVID-19 has brought digihealth a major focus of mental health service delivery. Read about our recent work in digihealth and catch up on some of our webinars.
